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Brundage, Stephanie

Calycanthus floridus

Calycanthus floridus L.

Eastern Sweetshrub, Carolina Allspice, Sweet Shrub

Calycanthaceae (Strawberry-shrub Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: CAFL22

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Eastern sweetshrub or Carolina allspice is a 6-12 ft., deciduous shrub with glossy, aromatic, leathery, dark-green foliage. Its with erect, multiple stems create a rounded outline. Terminal blossoms are solitary and dark red with numerous overlapping, strap-like petals. Flower are often quite fragrant. Leaves become yellow in fall but are usually not showy.

Calycanthus floridus is very resistant to disease and insect problems. It has a prolific suckering habit, adapts to many soils, and grows taller in shaded places.

From the Image Gallery

22 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Opposite
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Achene
Size Notes: Up to about 12 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul

Distribution

USA: AL , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IL , KY , LA , MA , MD , MS , NC , NY , OH , PA , SC , TN , VA , WV
Native Distribution: S.e. PA to s.e. KY, generally s. to FL Panhandle & LA
Native Habitat: Wood openings & edges; stream banks; moist hillsides

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
Soil Description: Moist, deep loams.
Conditions Comments: Calycanthus floridus is very resistant to disease and insect problems. It has a prolific suckering habit, adapts to many soils and grows taller in shaded places. Transplanting nursery stock is tricky. Pamper after planting until new growth starts.

Propagation

Description: Propagate by seed, but watch for slugs on recently germinated plants. Great clonal variation exists in rootability but semi-hardwood cuttings from the right plant will root.
Seed Collection: Collect in fall to early winter.
Commercially Avail: yes

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU				FACU			FACU	FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Delaware Nature Society - Hockessin, DE
Georgia Native Plant Society - Atlanta, GA
Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE

Bibliography

Bibref 1620 - Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Reprint Edition) (2009) Wasowski, S. with A. Wasowski
Bibref 841 - Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 57 - Atlas of Florida Plants (2020) Institute for Systematic Botany
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.

Additional resources

USDA: Find Calycanthus floridus in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Calycanthus floridus in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Calycanthus floridus

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-10-17
Research By: TWC Staff

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